The Decay of Civil Society

Civil society has slipped into a state of decay - Niall Ferguson
“Like Tocqueville, I believe that spontaneous local activism by citizens is better than central state action, not just in terms of its results, but more importantly in terms of its effect on us as citizens. For true citizenship is not just about voting, earning and staying on the right side of the law. It is also about participating in the “troop” — the wider group beyond our families — which is precisely where we learn how to develop and enforce rules of conduct. In short, to govern ourselves. To educate our children. To care for the helpless. To fight crime. To clear the beach of rubbish.”